1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to serial printers having traversing print heads and more particularly to printers of this type having an integral sheet feeder and a plurality of print heads which each effect a complete line traverse across the print media printing width.
2. Background Art
U.S. application Ser. No. 20,416, entitled "Compact Printer Having an Integral Cut-Sheet Feeder" by Piatt, filed concurrently herewith discloses a highly useful structural approach for providing a "built-in" sheet feeding capability for serial output printers, e.g. of the traversing head type. These constructions enhance printer compactness by employing unique platen and sheet guide cooperations that enable both sheet feed and transport via the platen drive. In one embodiment described in that application, selective engagements, at a supply station contact zone, between a rotary platen and the top sheet of the supply stack effect feed of the sheet to a bail roller nip region that is located along the printing path. After the lead edge of a print sheet is within such nip, the feeding engagement at the supply stack region can terminate, until a next sheet feed is desired.
One implementation of the invention of U.S. application Ser. No. 20,302, entitled "High Speed Print/Cartridge Printer/Feeder" by Piatt et al, filed concurrently herewith is in a high speed printer wherein spaced print heads cooperatively print on discrete transverse segments of a line. In such an embodiment, spaced print head nests are used to advantage in effecting the requisite sheet guiding to the bail/platen nip. However, in applications wherein a plurality of print heads are each desired to traverse the complete line print width (e.g. to supply different color or density inks), additional considerations are presented in implementing the Piatt et al sheet feed approach.